Improvement in preserving beer and wine



UNITED f STATES PATENT OFFICE.

"WILLIAM LEIsT, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRESERVING BEER AND WINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,665, dated April14, 1874 g application filed March 14, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LEIsT, of Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved VentAttachment to Beer-Barrels, of which the following is a speciiication:

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a vertical transversesection of -my improved vent attachment to beer-barrels 5 and Fig. 2, ahorizontal section of the seal-cup on the line Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.-

lhe object of my invention is to furnish an improved vent attachment, tobe used in connection with barrels containing fermented liquors, bywhich the back pressure of the liquids in the casks and theircommingling with the liquid in the seal-cup are prevented, together withthe drawing up ofthe liquid of the seal-cup into the cask, so that theuninterrupted and eiicctive action of the vent-cup isproduced.

My invention consists in the arrangement of a liquid-sealed vessel orcup, provided with an open air-pipe and flap-valve at the bottom, with asecondary {lap-valve in the upper part thereof, so that the air entersinto the barrel or cask, or tapping the same by a flexibleconnectingtube and hollow plug, without allowing the liquid in the caskto be forced in the sealcup by the pressure of' the gases, and interruptpartially, or discontinue entirely, the Workin g of the vent.

In the drawing, A represents a barrel or cask used for fermentedliquors, and B the vent attachment hung to the side of the barrel, andconsisting of a seal-cup, C, connected by a ieXible tube, D, to a hollowplug, E, which is inserted into 'the bung-hole of the barrel. Theseal-cup C is of cylindrical shape and suitable material, provided witha flap or tongue valve, a, of elastic rubber, at the bottom thereof,

which connects bya curved or U-shaped tube, 4

b, of suitable height, with the outer air, and admits the same to thecup as soonas the barrelis tapped. The seal-cup (l is filled with waterto the height of the air-tube b, so that the weight of the liquid keepsthe bottom valve closed until the suction caused by the creation of apartial vacuum in the barrel on drawing oft' the liquor opens the valveand admits the air to the barrel. The seal-cup G is provided with asecond flap-valve, d, of elastic rubber, applied to a perforation, df,of the top part thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, for the double purpose ofpreventing the back dow of the liquor from the cask by the pressure ofthe carbonic gas into the seal-cup, so as to commingle With the watertherein, and also the drawing up of the water from the seal-cup into thebarrel withtlie entering air.

The use of a seal-cup with double valves obviates all thesedifficulties, and keeps the liquors in the barrels sweet and nice forseveral days, while the seal-cup is always retained in working order. Y

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new" and desire to secureby Letters Patentv The vent attachment for beer-barrels, consisting ofthe seal-cup G, provided withV bottom ap-valve a, and open air-tube b,and also with a secondary top valve, d, connected by the iiexible tube Dand the hollow plug E with the barrel, and applied in the mannersubstantially as andi for the purpose described.

WILLIAM LEIS'I. y

